


In between part 1

by alltheSinnersandalltheSaints



Series: One Shot Compilation [3]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Peter Parker, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Cancer, Chemotherapy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Illness, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Multiverse, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Not Spider-Man: Homecoming Compliant, Past Child Abuse, Pre-Spider Bite Peter Parker, Precious Peter Parker, Sad, Vomit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:14:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23878258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltheSinnersandalltheSaints/pseuds/alltheSinnersandalltheSaints
Summary: This is a crossover of The haunting in Connecticut. The movie was really good and the fact that the story was a retelling of actual events is terrifying. I plan on writing 1-2 more parts.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: One Shot Compilation [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1720873
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	In between part 1

Peter retched miserably; the only thing coming up was bile, and it burned his throat. He hadn't been able to eat any food, let alone keep anything down since chemo started yesterday morning. This was the fourth time that day he'd been hunched over a bucket, dry heaving even though nothing was coming up.

There wasn't much Tony could do but gently rub circles on his son's back and reassure him that he was doing good and that he'd be okay. But he wasn't okay. Five months after his diagnosis and seven chemotherapy treatments later, and he wasn't getting any better. Despite all of the drugs, medicine, and technological advancements, there seemed to be no stopping his son's cancer from progressing. Stage four leukemia waged a violent war on the human body. But Peter was putting up one hell of a fight, and Tony couldn't have been prouder.

"Okay. I'm done." Panting, Peter leaned back onto the hospital bed, too weak to sit up any longer.

"Just rest, buddy." Tony ran his fingers through his son's fluffy curls because he knew how much Peter loved it. He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it either. "Try to get some sleep."

"I can't." Tears of frustration gathered in the teen's big doe eyes. "I just- everything hurts."

Bone and body aches were some of the many side effects of chemo. That, along with nausea, loss of appetite, insomnia, fatigue, mouth sores, headaches, and migraines, were all of the ailments plaguing the twelve-year-old. From an outsider's point of view, it looked like the chemo was doing more harm than good.

Peter had hyper-metabolism and was naturally thin, to begin with, meaning he was very thin even before he'd gotten sick. Now, he wasn't far from being a skeleton. His face was gaunt, the bags under his eyes never went away, and his skin was so pale it was nearly grey. The clothes he wore hung off his ever-thinning frame as it became harder and harder to eat. Tony nearly cried every time he picked Peter up, the boy's ribs and bones jutting out and poking his skin. He was down to ninety pounds.

But nothing would keep Tony from hugging and holding his son. The rest of the Avengers felt the same way about the little genius they'd grown to love.

"Are you hungry?" Clint asked hopefully from his seat beside Natasha and Rhodey on the opposite side of Peter's bed. "You should really eat something."

Peter groaned, flinching when the pain in his bones spiked. "Please don't talk about food."

The archer sat back in defeat, his eyes filling with tears that he quickly wiped away. He squeezed Natasha's hand between their chairs, the spy's grip tightened with each cough and groan that escaped her nephew.

"Your pops is gonna be here soon," Tony reminded, "along with aunt Pepper and uncle Happy."

"Huh." Peter croaked. "I thought aunt Pepper and uncle Happy were going away for their wedding anniversary?"

"They pushed the date back so they could be here… during-"

"During my treatment." Peter cut in, anger building in his chest. "They put off their plans so they could be around while I'm puking my guts out."

Everything in his life revolved around chemo and his cancer. It was hard and painful, but he put up with it because he knew it made his family feel better that he was still trying to fight. He tried his hardest to not complain, to keep a strong front. But the most painful part out of everything was seeing everyone he cared about so upset, and knowing it was his fault.

He hated that they had to watch him throw up, faint due to malnutrition, cry himself to sleep when the pain was too much to bear. He was slowly dying, and they could only watch.

"They're just wasting their time." He finally voiced what he'd been thinking for the past couple of months.

Rhodey quickly chimed in when he received a desperate look from Tony. "They love you, Pete." He assured, hands gently holding his nephews shaking one between his own, voice orotund and clear. "You are not wasting anyone's time. Please don't ever think that, okay."

Peter didn't look convinced but eventually conceded with a quiet "fine" before turning his gaze back up to the ceiling, looking anywhere but his family's sorrowful expressions.

**********

Steve, Pepper, and her husband, Happy, arrived an hour later. They walked into the hospital room just in time to see Peter curled over the bucket. It was a common occurrence these days to see Peter emptying the contents of his stomach in a rather horrible fashion, but that didn't make it any easier.

The first to reach the bed was Steve - having hustled over to attempt at comforting his son. His large hand cupped Peter's pale and sunken cheeks once he'd finished dry heaving, carefully wiping the tears from his face. "Hey, kiddo," he smiled, "it's good to see you. I'm so sorry we're late."

"S'okay, papa." Peter's head fell forward onto Steve's broad chest, his heartbeat a comforting sound.

Steve sat down on the edge of the bed and maneuvered his body so Peter would be more comfortable. He wrapped one arm around his son's shoulders while the other reached for his husband. He grinned when Tony firmly gripped his hand.

"Hi, sweetheart." Pepper cooed, her face lighting up when Peter smiled back at her.

She remembered getting the call from Tony. She had been sorting out some paperwork for Stark Industries when Friday had patched Tony through. He was crying and hyperventilating, seemingly on the verge of a panic attack. She took the Avenger's private elevator in order to get to the hero's private floors, keeping the call connected as she tried to calm her boss. Friday opened the elevator doors on the communal floor, and it didn't take long for her to find Tony.

The man of iron was openly sobbing, crouched on the floor, and curled up in his husband's arms. The rest of the team was gathered around them, their expressions portraying the deepest form of sadness; despair.

Happy - the ever stoic bodyguard - was doing his best not to cry. Every time he saw Peter, he wanted to fall apart; it just hurt so much. He stepped up beside his wife and long time friend, the shaking in the billionaire's breath, not going unnoticed.

"Hey, Pete." He smiled down at his godchild. "Mind if I steal your dad for a while?"

Peter looked at his dad, taking note of his fist clenched at his side and the distant look in his eyes. Both his parents had that look a lot recently.

"Take your time." He nodded. "Uncle Rhodey, why don't you go with 'em. Get a drink or something."

The colonel's expression went from one of confusion to one of understanding. Why would Peter be asking him to go get a drink when there was a mini-fridge already stocked in the room? It was because Tony needed a break.

"Good idea, Pete." Rhodey stood from the uncomfortable plastic chair he had been sitting in. Before leaving, he whispered something in Steve's ear, to which the super-soldier nodded, his smile disappearing.

The room Happy led Tony to was void of any color or life. There was no furniture save for a few chairs that wouldn't fit into the facility's small lobby. It was a room meant for family and friends to grieve in private. Rhodey shut the door behind them and stayed back.

"Boss," cautiously, Happy addressed his employer and long time friend who was turned away from him, "you gotta take a break. I get that you wanna be there for your son; believe me, I understand. But not sleeping or eating and constantly being strung up with worry isn't helping anything." He rested his hand on Tony's shoulder. "We're all worried about you, especially Peter."

"I don't know what the hell for," Tony growled, shoving Happy's hand away. "There's nothing to worry about, I'm fine."

"No, Tones, you aren't," Rhodey interjected. "You're falling back into your old habits of not taking care of yourself."

"I'm not drinking."

"I know, and I'm grateful for that. But staying up all night and constantly hiding out in your lab in order to distract yourself isn't working." He waved his hands as he spoke. "You have anxiety attacks almost every day! That's not go-"

Tony stomped towards the colonel. "How the hell do you know that? I don't need anyone spying on me."

"We aren't spying on you." Happy insisted.

"Steve told us," Rhodey sighed, "he's so worried, Tones. You wouldn't listen to him, and he didn't know what to do."

Tony's first initial feeling was anger. Why was Steve worried about him when their son was literally dying in front of them? He was an adult who owned a multi-billion-dollar company, a superhero; he could handle himself.

Couldn't he?

Rhodey's voice pitched emotionally. "Peter came to me in tears last week. He could barely stand up on his own, but somehow he made it down to my floor. And do you know what he said?" Tony blanched, but Rhodey wasn't backing down. "He told me that he was worried about you and Steve. That it's his fault, you both are so tired and unhappy."

Hot salty tears broke through the billionaire's facade. Their child - his pride and joy - thought Steve and him were unhappy. And Steve - the love of his life - who was suffering just as much as him, had to not only deal with their son's illness but Tony's self-destructive behavior as well.

Holy shit, he had fucked up.

Both Rhodey and Happy embraced their friend, offering whatever form of comfort they could offer. But when Steve entered the room and murmured a quiet "aw Tony," they stepped back and exited the room.

"I'm so sorry, Steve." Tony gasped, collapsing against his husband's sturdy chest. "I'm hurting you. Please… I'm so sorry."

Steve wrapped his arms around the smaller man protectively, his tears flowing freely. "Oh, sweetheart," he took a shaky breath, "we're all going through this together. None of this is your fault."

"I know." He cleared his throat. "But I'm not being very helpful."

"Of course you are," Steve mumbled reassurances into his husband's curls, which were tickling his chin. "What's going on… what Peter's going through…" he cleared his throat, "it's indescribably painful. We're doing our best."

"He's so brilliant and pure and innocent. He was supposed to make the world a better place." Tony sobbed brokenly.

Steve smiled sadly. "He already is, just by existing."

"But what if the treatments don't work? He won't be here much longer. "

"They will." Steve's answer came out more forceful than he meant it to be, and he was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

"It's okay, babe."

"Dr. Aikman is positive his new treatment will work. Peter is so strong; I know he'll be fine."

"He is, he really is." Tony nodded, leaning up to kiss his husband's lips. "He is, he's so brave."

"Remember when we adopted him?"

"I can't believe that was only two years ago." The nostalgic feeling those memories brought made the men smile. "He was so timid and shy. The people from the orphanage were so horrible to him, and I'll never forget the look of complete joy on his face. He was surprised yet so grateful."

"And I'll never forget how good it felt to punch the CPS prick in the face. I would've done more but bringing our son home was more important."

"I'll never regret adopting him."

"Me neither." Tony dried his eyes and collected himself. He took Steve's large hand and smiled.

"Let's go be with our boy."


End file.
